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Community News: April 25

Published: Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 9:55 a.m.

Students compete in WCU's 31st Foreign Language Competition

On March 12, close to 275 regional high school students met at Western Carolina University to compete in WCU's 31st Foreign Language Competition. The competition tests students' knowledge of Spanish and French.

Individuals compete against one another in categories such as "Show and Tell" and "How-To." Schools have both a French and Spanish Quiz Bowl team, but some have two for Spanish Quiz Bowl — a native-speaker team and a non-native speaker team. The competition also comprises of a dance, music and skit component.

East Henderson, West Henderson, North Henderson and Early College high schools participated in the competition.

East Henderson's Spanish Native-Speaker Quiz Bowl Team members were Gregorio Rodriguez, Gabriel Vera, Daniel Valdez and Andrea Espinosa. They won second place. Individual awards went to Kaitlyn Blanken, who won third place for level three extemporaneous speaking, and to Brittany Gordon, who won first place in level four extemporaneous speaking. Kristen Kelley and Anna Tillman, East's Spanish teachers, coached their students.

East's French Quiz Bowl Team members were Carlos Martinez, Jorge Torres, Gabe Cannon and Maggie McKenzie. They took first place. The students performed a skit, which also took first place. Actors were Carlos Martinez, Jorge Torres, Gabe Cannon, Morgan Noble, Corey Boeh, Maggie McKenzie, Martin Zavala and Breeana Clayton.

McKenzie and Emma Dadswell took second place in the music competition. Individual awards went to Martin Zavala, who placed first in Show and Tell, to Brandon Garcia, who took second in the same category, and to Jacquelynn Martin, who took second place for How-To. French teacher Vicki Leeds coached her students.

West Henderson's Spanish students who participated in a skit were Tatianna Nelson, Jason Piotrowski, Marissa Treible, Sarah Wood, Aaron Turpin and Matt Rice. They won third place and were the only school to have a skit without native speakers.

The students created an original dance and memorized song. Participants were Jackie Antiveros, Zach Choker, Candice Holden, Collin Armstrong, Hunter Denny, Erick Martinez, Deanna Belcher and C.J. Reguyal. They took third place as well.

Individual awards went to Tori Black, who placed first for level three extemporaneous speaking, to Ellie Gillon, who placed third for poetry recitation, and to Antiveros, who placed first in native speaker poetry recitation. These students were coached by Spanish teacher Suzanne Perron.

West's French teacher, Phyllis Cook, coached her students for the competition. Kourtney McCarthy won third place in level one Show and Tell.

North Henderson's Spanish Quiz Bowl Team members were Audrey Wells, Isaac Dalton, Cecily Schenimann and Patrick Steverson. They took third place. Their Native Speaker Quiz Bowl Team members were Bianca Figueroa, Mauricio Rojas, Diana Aguillon and Miguel Barcenas. They took third place.

Individual awards went to Marissa Pace, who won first place for poetry recitation and to Figueroa, who took third place for native speaker poetry recitation. Spanish teachers Alyssa Franco and Karen Dellinger coached their students.

Henderson County Early College Spanish students were coached by their new teacher, Pamela Schlueter. This was their first year at the competition. Individual awards went to Erin Asunción, who took first place in level two How-To, and to Lauren Gandy, who won second place in level one Show and Tell.

The Healing Place receives $2,500 grant

The Healing Place received a $2,500 grant for the prevention of violence and trauma of women and girls by the Office on Women's Health.

Executive Director Angie Alley said the grant will be used to provide an eight-week parenting series to non-offending parents whose child has been a victim of child sexual abuse. The series prepares parents for the unique challenges they may face when raising a child who has been sexually abused.

The curriculum includes indicators of sexual abuse, stages of sexual development, grooming, coping skills, and safety planning. For more information or to make an appointment, call 828-692-0495.

Community Partnership for Pets gets $6,500

Community Partnership for Pets Inc. has been awarded an additional $6,500 from Animal Farm Foundation to allow the organization to spay/neuter another 130 pit bull or pit bull mixes for families in and around Henderson County.

In 2012, 10.1 percent of the animals coming into the Henderson County Animal Shelter were pit bulls or pit bull mixes. As an all-volunteer, tax-exempt, nonprofit organization, every dollar donated to CPPI or received through grants goes to pay for spay/neuter surgeries.

For more information about getting a pit bull or pit bull mix fixed or to make a donation, call 828-693-5172 or email cpforpetsinc@aol.com.

Employee Assistance Programs are offered by many employers to benefit employees who may be suffering from personal problems that could impact their health and work performance. Employee Assistance Programs provide employees and their families with counseling and referral services. The 2013 conference addressed the many issues that EAPs encounter and provide tools on how to take the next steps.

Tapestry attended as an exhibitor and shared its knowledge and support surrounding the issues of eating disorders with attending members. Call 866-647-0623 or visit www.tapestrync.com for more information.

Four Brevard students place at Mid-Atlantic Conference

Four Brevard College voice students recently took part in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference and Auditions held by the National Association of Teachers of Singing in Charleston, S.C.

Soprano Natalie Comeaux placed first in Freshman Women Musical Theatre, while tenor Blake Ellege placed third in the Senior Men's Classical Category. Sophomore Rachel Anthony and freshman Megan Swinney also scored in the top two rating levels during their auditions.

Comeaux, Anthony and Swinney are students of Brevard College Associate Professor of Music Kathryn Gresham. Ellege studies under Assistant Professor of Music David Gresham.

NATS is the largest professional organization for voice teachers in the country, offering development and networking opportunities for teachers, and supporting young singers through auditions, scholarships and master classes. Participating students benefit both from the feedback they get from other teachers on their auditions and also from observing performances and master classes by some of the finest singers in the region.

All four students qualified for the regional auditions by earning superior scores during the North Carolina Chapter Auditions in February. Brevard College's Friends of Fine Arts was instrumental in supporting the students' travel and participation in the auditions.

Students inducted into Phi Kappa Phi

Seven local students were granted an achievement for being inducted into Phi Kappa Phi at The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi: Ericka Berg of Mill Spring; Marianne Snow of Hendersonville; Terri Trimble of Brevard; Kevin Greene of Hendersonville; Timothy Rudisill of Hendersonville; and Gail Elliott of Mills River.

Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi inducts annually about 32,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors.

For more information, visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org.

Three Brevard students receive scholarships

Three Brevard College students are recipients of scholarships provided by the Golden LEAF Foundation through North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities.

The students — Hannah Davis, a junior biology major; Elisha Henry, a senior environmental science major; and John Ruth, a senior business and organizational leadership major — each received Golden LEAF Foundation funds for the 2012-13 academic year.

The foundation has partnered with NCICU to provide scholarship support for more than 10 years. During this time, the foundation has contributed more than $5.8 million, helping more than 1,200 students.

Recipients of the Golden LEAF Scholarships must reside in rural counties that are tobacco-dependent or economically distressed. The overall goal of the program is that these students will return home after receiving their degree and help their rural communities.

<p>Students compete in WCU's 31st Foreign Language Competition</p><p>On March 12, close to 275 regional high school students met at Western Carolina University to compete in WCU's 31st Foreign Language Competition. The competition tests students' knowledge of Spanish and French. </p><p>Individuals compete against one another in categories such as "Show and Tell" and "How-To." Schools have both a French and Spanish Quiz Bowl team, but some have two for Spanish Quiz Bowl — a native-speaker team and a non-native speaker team. The competition also comprises of a dance, music and skit component. </p><p>East Henderson, West Henderson, North Henderson and Early College high schools participated in the competition. </p><p>East Henderson's Spanish Native-Speaker Quiz Bowl Team members were Gregorio Rodriguez, Gabriel Vera, Daniel Valdez and Andrea Espinosa. They won second place. Individual awards went to Kaitlyn Blanken, who won third place for level three extemporaneous speaking, and to Brittany Gordon, who won first place in level four extemporaneous speaking. Kristen Kelley and Anna Tillman, East's Spanish teachers, coached their students. </p><p>East's French Quiz Bowl Team members were Carlos Martinez, Jorge Torres, Gabe Cannon and Maggie McKenzie. They took first place. The students performed a skit, which also took first place. Actors were Carlos Martinez, Jorge Torres, Gabe Cannon, Morgan Noble, Corey Boeh, Maggie McKenzie, Martin Zavala and Breeana Clayton.</p><p>McKenzie and Emma Dadswell took second place in the music competition. Individual awards went to Martin Zavala, who placed first in Show and Tell, to Brandon Garcia, who took second in the same category, and to Jacquelynn Martin, who took second place for How-To. French teacher Vicki Leeds coached her students. </p><p>West Henderson's Spanish students who participated in a skit were Tatianna Nelson, Jason Piotrowski, Marissa Treible, Sarah Wood, Aaron Turpin and Matt Rice. They won third place and were the only school to have a skit without native speakers.</p><p>The students created an original dance and memorized song. Participants were Jackie Antiveros, Zach Choker, Candice Holden, Collin Armstrong, Hunter Denny, Erick Martinez, Deanna Belcher and C.J. Reguyal. They took third place as well. </p><p>Individual awards went to Tori Black, who placed first for level three extemporaneous speaking, to Ellie Gillon, who placed third for poetry recitation, and to Antiveros, who placed first in native speaker poetry recitation. These students were coached by Spanish teacher Suzanne Perron. </p><p>West's French teacher, Phyllis Cook, coached her students for the competition. Kourtney McCarthy won third place in level one Show and Tell.</p><p>North Henderson's Spanish Quiz Bowl Team members were Audrey Wells, Isaac Dalton, Cecily Schenimann and Patrick Steverson. They took third place. Their Native Speaker Quiz Bowl Team members were Bianca Figueroa, Mauricio Rojas, Diana Aguillon and Miguel Barcenas. They took third place.</p><p>North's dance and music team won second place. Spanish students performed a skit, which won first place. Actors were Madison Odom, Tyler Johnson, Sandra Lozano, Mitul Patel, Figueroa, Anthony Acosta, Brianna Maciejewski, Koty Hartsook, Irene Santos, Brenda Santos, Avimael Obispo, Schenimann, Dulce Leal, Barcenas, Maria Tamayo, Seth Smith, and Grant Biberdorf. </p><p>Individual awards went to Marissa Pace, who won first place for poetry recitation and to Figueroa, who took third place for native speaker poetry recitation. Spanish teachers Alyssa Franco and Karen Dellinger coached their students. </p><p>Henderson County Early College Spanish students were coached by their new teacher, Pamela Schlueter. This was their first year at the competition. Individual awards went to Erin Asunción, who took first place in level two How-To, and to Lauren Gandy, who won second place in level one Show and Tell.</p><p>The Healing Place receives $2,500 grant</p><p>The Healing Place received a $2,500 grant for the prevention of violence and trauma of women and girls by the Office on Women's Health. </p><p>Executive Director Angie Alley said the grant will be used to provide an eight-week parenting series to non-offending parents whose child has been a victim of child sexual abuse. The series prepares parents for the unique challenges they may face when raising a child who has been sexually abused. </p><p>The curriculum includes indicators of sexual abuse, stages of sexual development, grooming, coping skills, and safety planning. For more information or to make an appointment, call 828-692-0495.</p><p>Community Partnership for Pets gets $6,500</p><p>Community Partnership for Pets Inc. has been awarded an additional $6,500 from Animal Farm Foundation to allow the organization to spay/neuter another 130 pit bull or pit bull mixes for families in and around Henderson County. </p><p>In 2012, 10.1 percent of the animals coming into the Henderson County Animal Shelter were pit bulls or pit bull mixes. As an all-volunteer, tax-exempt, nonprofit organization, every dollar donated to CPPI or received through grants goes to pay for spay/neuter surgeries. </p><p>For more information about getting a pit bull or pit bull mix fixed or to make a donation, call 828-693-5172 or email cpforpetsinc@aol.com. </p><p>Tapestry shares knowledge at conference</p><p>Tina Nowak, executive director of Tapestry, and Brittany Nowak, marketing coordinator, recently attended the annual conference of the Employee Assistance Professionals Association in Charlotte. </p><p>Employee Assistance Programs are offered by many employers to benefit employees who may be suffering from personal problems that could impact their health and work performance. Employee Assistance Programs provide employees and their families with counseling and referral services. The 2013 conference addressed the many issues that EAPs encounter and provide tools on how to take the next steps.</p><p>Tapestry attended as an exhibitor and shared its knowledge and support surrounding the issues of eating disorders with attending members. Call 866-647-0623 or visit www.tapestrync.com for more information.</p><p>Four Brevard students place at Mid-Atlantic Conference</p><p>Four Brevard College voice students recently took part in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference and Auditions held by the National Association of Teachers of Singing in Charleston, S.C.</p><p>Soprano Natalie Comeaux placed first in Freshman Women Musical Theatre, while tenor Blake Ellege placed third in the Senior Men's Classical Category. Sophomore Rachel Anthony and freshman Megan Swinney also scored in the top two rating levels during their auditions.</p><p>Comeaux, Anthony and Swinney are students of Brevard College Associate Professor of Music Kathryn Gresham. Ellege studies under Assistant Professor of Music David Gresham.</p><p>NATS is the largest professional organization for voice teachers in the country, offering development and networking opportunities for teachers, and supporting young singers through auditions, scholarships and master classes. Participating students benefit both from the feedback they get from other teachers on their auditions and also from observing performances and master classes by some of the finest singers in the region.</p><p>All four students qualified for the regional auditions by earning superior scores during the North Carolina Chapter Auditions in February. Brevard College's Friends of Fine Arts was instrumental in supporting the students' travel and participation in the auditions.</p><p>Students inducted into Phi Kappa Phi</p><p>Seven local students were granted an achievement for being inducted into Phi Kappa Phi at The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi: Ericka Berg of Mill Spring; Marianne Snow of Hendersonville; Terri Trimble of Brevard; Kevin Greene of Hendersonville; Timothy Rudisill of Hendersonville; and Gail Elliott of Mills River.</p><p>Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi inducts annually about 32,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. </p><p>For more information, visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org.</p><p>Three Brevard students receive scholarships</p><p>Three Brevard College students are recipients of scholarships provided by the Golden LEAF Foundation through North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities. </p><p>The students — Hannah Davis, a junior biology major; Elisha Henry, a senior environmental science major; and John Ruth, a senior business and organizational leadership major — each received Golden LEAF Foundation funds for the 2012-13 academic year.</p><p>The foundation has partnered with NCICU to provide scholarship support for more than 10 years. During this time, the foundation has contributed more than $5.8 million, helping more than 1,200 students. </p><p>Recipients of the Golden LEAF Scholarships must reside in rural counties that are tobacco-dependent or economically distressed. The overall goal of the program is that these students will return home after receiving their degree and help their rural communities.</p>